Say to your enemies: There is a place for you at our table, if you will choose to join us.One act of courage can change the world.Visions expressed by the wise-woman and storyteller Maya Greenwood, character cited in: Starhawk (*1951) US American psychologist, feminist, ecopolitical activist, author, novel The Fifth Sacred Thing, Bantam, 1993

General quotes

Jesus: But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them who despitefully use you, and persecute you. Matthew 5, 44 (NT) King James Bible, 2003

And a man's enemies will be the members of his household. Matthew 10, 36 (NT) Aramaic Bible in plain English

Personal avowals

At 15, I set my heart on learning. At 30 I had planted my feet firmly on the ground. At 40, I was never led astray from my goal. At 50, I knew the will of heaven. At 60, I heard the bidding of heaven with a docile ear. At 70, I could do as my heart pleased, for what I desired no longer conflicted with the will of heaven. Confucius (551-479 BC) Chinese sage, social philosopher, sponsor of Confucianism, the Chinese state religion, Analects of Confucius [Lunyu] [Selected Sayings] (475 BC-220 AD)

Question: Have you reached a point with your work with the German-Jewish dialogue that you feel somehow gives you a more complete picture?Answer: I think there I reached a stage of saturation; I felt I understand the problem, I know what can be achieved and I know what can't be achieved and I know the issues and how they look in the third generation and the second generation. I also know how they affect our conflict. For me, that was a major breakthrough in my understanding: that we can't look at the Palestinian and Israeli conflict – exactly as you can't look at the Croatian and Bosnian conflict – without understanding the other parties which were involved there in previous times. It was a very basic learning process that prepared me for working on the current problem, prepared me for the pace of social processes and psychological processes, how much you can help them move but if you push too hard they backlash on you. Interview with Dan Bar-On, Ph.D. (1938-2008) Israelian professor of psychology, psychotherapist, Holocaust and peace researcher, author, Interview with The Late Professor Dan Bar-On, presented by the publication Just Vision, Nahanni Rous, 2004

Recommendation

Whenever you have a clash of opposites in your being and neither will give way to the other (the bush will not be consumed and the fire will not stop), you can be certain that God is present. We dislike this experience intensely and avoid it at any cost; but if we can endure it, the conflict-without-resolution is a direct experience of God.Robert A. Johnson (1921-2018) US American Jungian analyst, lecturer, author, Owning Your Own Shadow. Understanding the Dark Side of the Psyche, Harper Collins, San Francisco, 1991, reprint edition 5. March 1993, Harper One, 9. June 2009

No one is to be called an enemy, all are your benefactors, and no one does you harm. You have no enemy except yourselves. St. Francis of Assisi (1181/82-1226) Italian Catholic friar, preacher, founder of the Franciscan Order, source unknown

Conflicts are not a game that you win or loose. They are often a struggle for survival, well-being, freedom, identity, which means a struggle for the fulfillment of basic human needs [...]. Conflicts affect the whole person: feelings and thoughts. They demand everything from us. If we do not try our utmost, such feelings may lead to acts of violence. In the form of verbal abuse or physical violence, or both, they will then prevent the fulfillment of these basic needs. Johan Galtung (*1930) Norwegian sociologist, political scientist, mathematician, principal founder of the discipline of peace and conflict studies, founder of Peace Research Institute Oslo, originator of the Journal of Peace Research, Konflikte und Konfliktlösungen. Die Transcend-Methode und ihre Anwendung, S. 9/17, Kai Homilius Verlag, Berlin, 2007

I thought that I could win him [my angry life threateningly dangerous stallion] over through kindness, sympathy, understanding and bodywork. He wasn't having any of that. He actually demanded that I become powerful in order to work with him. That also became a metaphor for me of what we're facing in our culture. The whole reason there are so many bullies and sociopaths in power is because the empathetic, compassionate people out there in the world have not exercised a different form of power where they can stand up to those people in a way that creates productive social change. I realized it wasn't enough to be empathetic and understanding and compassionate. I also had to have [warmhearted connecting] power in order to rehabilitate this very angry abused stallion who would threaten my life. So I think more people who are sympathetic and understanding must step in that new kind of power in order to change the world because otherwise we will keep the bullies and sociopaths in power. Audio interview with Linda Kohanov, US American riding instructor, horse trainer, speaker, author, The Power of the Herd; Non-Predatory Power and Horse Sense, presented by The Rob Kall Bottom Up Radio Show, host Rob Kall, US American radio host, minute 1:05:36, 1:30: duration, podcast aired 18. July 2013

As an organizer of conferences Jung's friend Mrs. Fröbe had asked him to comment on her great inner struggle between the demands of her career and the demands of her family. Jung pleaded to reconcile the struggle between the male [selfbased, personal, solar approach] and the female [SELF-based, impersonal, lunar approach] via patient endurance in the fire of the crucible until transformation has come about.

There can be no resolution – only patient endurance – of the opposites which ultimately spring from your own nature. You yourself are a conflict that rages in itself and against itself in order to melt its incompatible substances, the male and the female, in the fire of suffering and thus create that form which is the goal of life. Everyone goes through this mill – consciously or unconsciously, voluntarily or forcibly. We are crucified between the opposites and delivered up to the torture until this reconciling third takes shape. [...]Do not doubt the rightness of the two sides within you and let happen whatever may happen. The apparently unendurable conflict of your life is proof of the rightness of your life. A life without inner contradiction is either only half a life or a life in the beyond which is destined only for the angels. But God loves human beings more than the angels. Carl Gustav Jung (1875-1961) Swiss psychiatrist, psychoanalytist, founder of a new school of depth psychology, author, extracted from an extraordinary letter to Mrs. Fröbe written at age 70, 1945.

No one in the world can change TRUTH! What we can do and should do is to seek truth and to serve it when we have found it. The real conflict is the inner conflict. Beyond armies of occupation and the hecatombs of extermination camps, there are two irreconcilable enemies in the depth of every soul: GOOD and evil, sin and LOVE. And what use are the victories on the battlefield if we ourselves are defeated in our innermost personal selves? Maximilian Kolbe (1894-1941) German Polish Franciscan friar, martyr, saint of the Catholic Church, source unknown

God is very quiet, for there is no conflict in Him. Conflict is the root of all evil, for being blind it does not see whom it attacks. Yet it always attacks the Son of God, and the Son of God is you. ⚡A Course in Miracles textbook, S. 198, The Foundation for Inner Peace, 3rd edition 1976, revised edition 1996

If we can stay with the tension of opposites long enough – sustain it, be true to it – we can sometimes become vessels within which the divine opposites come together and give birth to a new reality. Dr. Marie-Louise von Franz (1915-1998) Swiss Jungian psychologist, scholar, author, Shadow and Evil in Fairy Tales, A C.G. Jung Foundation Book, Shambhala, revised edition 7. February 1995

Jung has said that to be in a situation where there is no way out, or to be in a conflict where there is no solution, is the classical beginning of the process of individuation. It is meant to be a situation without solution: the unconscious wants the hopeless conflict in order to put ego-consciousness up against the wall, so that the man has to realise that whatever he does is wrong, whichever way he decides will be wrong. This is meant to knock out the superiority of the ego, which always acts from the illusion that it has the responsibility of decision. Naturally, if a man says, "Oh well, then I shall just let everything go and make no decision, but just protract and wriggle out of [it]," the whole thing is equally wrong, for then naturally nothing happens. But if he is ethical enough to suffer to the core of his personality, then generally because of the insolubility of the conscious situation, the Self manifests. In religious language you could say that the situation without issue is meant to force the man to rely on an act of God. In psychological language the situation without issue, which the anima arranges with great skill in a man's life, is meant to drive him into a condition in which he is capable of experiencing the Self. When thinking of the anima as the soul guide, we are apt to think of Beatrice leading Dante up to Paradise, but we should not forget that he experienced that only after he had gone through Hell. Normally, the anima does not take a man by the hand and lead him right up to Paradise; she puts him first into a hot cauldron where he is nicely roasted for a while. Dr. Marie-Louise von Franz (1915-1998) Swiss Jungian psychologist, scholar, author, The Interpretation of Fairy Tales, Shambhala, revised edition, 9. July 1996

Fights between individuals, as well as governments and nations, invariably result from misunderstandings in the broadest interpretation of this term. Misunderstandings are always caused by the inability of appreciating one another's point of view. This again is due to the ignorance of those concerned, not so much in their own, as in their mutual fields. The peril of a clash is aggravated by a more or less predominant sense of combativeness, posed by every human being. To resist this inherent fighting tendency the best way is to dispel ignorance of the doings of others by a systematic spread of general knowledge. With this object in view, it is most important to aid exchange of thought and intercourse. Interview with Nikola Tesla (1856-1943) Serbian US American physicist, mechanical and electrical engineer, inventor, 'A Means for Furthering Peace, presented by the magazing "Electrical World and Engineer", S. 21-24, 7. January 1905

Social change is not going to occur until people have power. And it has to be a new form of power, a non-predatory form of power. It's not just a lack of empathy that causes conflicts and suffering to continue it is also a lack of power, particularly non-predatory power and emotional heroism. Not only do we need empathy to change the world, but we need empathetic, compassionate people with emotional heroism to walk into situations where suffering occurs and also show a form of power that effects change and holds people accountable without also becoming abusive. We need more than empathy and more than ever we need sensitive, compassionate individuals to develop the power and emotional heroism to step into these conflicts. Otherwise we just get bullies and sociopaths in power. Audio interview with Linda Kohanov (*1950) US American riding instructor, horse trainer, speaker, author, A New Interview with Linda, presented by Eponaquest, multi-disciplinary educational organization, host Anthony Write, minute 50:56, 52:50 minutes duration, aired ~3. May 2013

Conspiracism is a particular narrative form of scapegoating that frames demonized enemies as part of a vast insidious plot against the common good, while it valorizes the scapegoater as a hero for sounding the alarm. Chip Berletpubliceye.org (*1949) US American former vice president of the National Lawyers Guild, co–chair of Civil Liberties Committee, investigative journalist, activist, specializing in the study of right-wing movements (religious right, white supremacists, homophobic groups, paramilitary organizations), author, Matthew N. Lyons, US American independent historian focusing on social movements and systems of oppression, author, Right-Wing Populism in America. Too Close for Comfort, The Guilford Press, New York, 1st edition 1. November 2000

How do organisations think? They don't. Not because they don't want to. They can't think because the people inside of [companies] are too afraid of conflict. In surveys of European and American executives fully 85% of them acknowledged that they had issues or concerns at work that they were afraid to raise, afraid of the conflict that would provoke, afraid to get embroiled in arguments that they did not know how to manage and felt that they were bound to loose. 85% is a really big number. […] They [in organisations] can't think together.Margaret Heffernan, former US American CEO of five businesses, author, Dare to disagree, presented by TED Global 2012, Edinburgh Scotland, filmed 25.-29. June 2012, 12:56 minutes duration, posted August 2012

If the experience of the last ten years has taught us anything, it should be this: We [United States] can bomb our enemies into the Stone Age, but we cannot bomb them into the 21st century. Kevin D. Williamson, US American deputy managing editor of National Review, The Folly of Defense Cuts, National Review online, 22. March 2011

Conflict is the gadfly of thought. It stirs us to observation and memory. It instigates invention. It shocks us out of sheep-like passivity, and sets us at noting and contriving. […] [C]onflict is a sine qua non of reflection and ingenuity. ⚡John Dewey (1859-1952) US American founder of functional psychology, 'progressive' pseudo educational and social reformer, pragmatist philosopher, author, Human Nature and Conduct, part 4 "Conclusion", section II "Morals are human", S. 300, 1922

I am interested in madness. I believe it is the biggest thing in the human race, and the most constant. How do you take away from a man his madness without also taking away his identity? Are we sure it is desirable for a man's spirit not to be at war with itself, or that it is better to be serene and ready to go to dinner than to be excited and unwilling to stop for a cup of coffee, even? William Saroyan (1908-1981) Armenian-US American dramatist, author, Short Drive, Sweet Chariot, 1966

We are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided.Joanne K. Rowling (*1965) British bestselling author, character Albus Dumbledore, cited in: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, fourth book of the phantasy series youth novel Harry Potter, character Albus Dumbledore, chapter 37 "The Beginning", S. 723, Bloomsbury Publishing, 2002

Quotes on difficult relationships

Every form of marital therapy or couple therapy [based on deficit theories] practiced in the world today has been shown in controlled outcome studies to be hardly effective at all. Audio interview with David D. Burns, M.D., US American adjunct clinical professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, psychiatrist, early proponent of Cognitive Psychology and Positive Psychology, author of Feeling Good Together, Healing Troubled Relationships, presented by the US American web radio station Shrink Rap Radio, psychology podcast #205, host David Van Nuys, Ph.D., US American professor emeritus of psychology Sonoma State University, California, minute 24:48, 1:08:10 minutes duration, aired 24. April

The Achilles' Heel of humans is our inability to handle personal criticism – especially when given by a loved one – especially when given badly. (Of course, all criticism feels like it is given badly.) The discipline of love starts with the discipline of knowing how to emotionally associate being criticized with being loved; that's the best way to make our partner feel safe sharing her or his feelings. The discipline continues with the art and discipline of appreciating each other. Talk by Warren FarrellFarrell.com (*1943) US American political scientist, author, spokesman of men's liberation, men's rights activist, former director of the National Organisation for Women, speaker, author, 15 Intriguing Thoughts About Men, Women and Relationships, PDF, sponsored by the Midland Park High School, presented at 50th Reunion, 10. September 2011

Quotes on macro conflict and war

Personal avowals

I have never encountered a difficulty that was not truly the difficulty of myself. Carl Gustav Jung (1875-1961) Swiss psychiatrist, psychoanalytist, founder of a new school of depth psychology, author, unsourced

I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones. Albert Einstein (1879-1955) German-born US American theoretical physicist, developer of the theory of general relativity, Nobel laureate in physics, 1921, source unknown

I hate war, as only a soldier who has lived it can, as only one who has seen its brutality, its futility, its stupidity. ⚡Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890-1969) 34th US president (1953-1961), five-star general in the United States Army, war criminal, source unknown

Eisenhower's hatefilled racism turned into a policy of genocide. Over a million German men perished in Eisenhower's death camps facing an American orchestrated Holodomor. Countless thousands of German prisoners of war were shipped off to Britain and Siberia to serve as slave laborers for the "victors". Under International law this procedure was illegal, therefore Eisenhower issued an order to predesignate German POWs as "Disarmed Enemy Forces" (DEF).

Killing Japanese [in WWII] didn't bother me very much at that time. [...] I suppose if I had lost the war, I would have been tried as a war criminal. [...] Every soldier thinks something of the moral aspects of what he is doing. But all war is immoral and if you let that bother you, you're not a good soldier. Curtis E. LeMay (1906-1990) US American Air Force general, source unknown

Appeal

People, I just want to say, can we all get along? Can we get along? […] We've just got to, just got to. We're all stuck here for a while. Let's try to work it out. Let's try to work it out. Rodney King (*1965) black US American subjected to police brutality by the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) on 3. March 1991, Jury Could Hear Rodney King Today, 1. May 1992, 3rd day at court, Los Angeles riots 1992, presented by the US American daily newspaper The New York Times, Seth Mydans, 9. March 1993

Conclusions

We first kill people with our minds, before we kill them with weapons. Whatever the conflict, the enemy is always the destroyer. We're on God's side; they're barbaric. We're good, they're evil. War gives us a feeling of moral clarity that we lack at other times. Prof. Sam Keensamkeen.com (*1931) US American professor of history of religions and philosophy, Harvard University, Princeton University, author, Why Peace Isn't Covered, presented by the Center for Media Literacy, Rosalind Silver, date unknown

It's our tendency to approach every problem as if it were a fight between two sides. We see it in headlines that are always using metaphors for war. It's a general atmosphere of animosity and contention that has taken over our public discourse. Deborah Tannen (*1945) US American socio-linguist, specialized in gender-specific linguistic differences, author, source unknown

An armed conflict between nations horrifies us. But the economic war is no better than an armed conflict. This is like a surgical operation. An economic war is prolonged torture. And its ravages are no less terrible than those depicted in the literature on war properly so called. We think nothing of the other because we are used to its deadly effects. [...]The movement against war is sound. I pray for its success. But I cannot help the gnawing fear that the movement will fail if it does not touch the root of all evil – man's greed. Mohandas Karamchand Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948) Indian Hindu sage, spiritual activist leader, humanitarian, lawyer, nonviolent freedom fighter, cited in: Non-Violence – The Greatest Force, presented by the US American political magazine The World Tomorrow, 5. October 1926

Power [aka force] concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will. Frederick Douglass (1818-1895) African-American statesman, social reformer, abolitionist, orator, writer, aphorism

We know that relying solely on argument, we wandered for forty years politically in the wilderness. We know that arguments are not enough and that political force is necessary. Christabel Pankhurst (1880-1958) English suffragette, co-founder of the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU), strategic genius of its militant actions from exile in France (1912-1913), source unknown

Theoretically, one could imagine a situation where armed intervention at an early stage might prevent large-scale conflict. The problem is that it is very difficult, if not impossible, to predict the outcome of violence. That it will be just is not guaranteed at the outset – it will only become clear in hindsight. The only certainty is that where there is violence, there is always and inevitably suffering. H.H. 14th Dalai LamaTenzin Gyatso (*1935) Tibetan monk, leader of the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" branch of Tibetan Buddhism, Peace Nobel Prize laureate, 1989, Facebook, comment, 24. October 2010

Question [at the end of a public talk]: Why didn't you fight back against the Chinese?Answer [Dalai Lama looked down, swung his feet just a bit, then looked back up at us and said with a gentle smile]: Well, war is obsolete, you know.[After a few moments, his face grave, he said]: "Of course the mind can rationalize fighting back, but the heart, the heart would never understand. Then you would be divided in yourself, the heart and the mind, and the war would be inside you." H.H. 14th Dalai LamaTenzin Gyatso (*1935) Tibetan monk, leader of the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" branch of Tibetan Buddhism, Peace Nobel Prize laureate, 1989, unknown event, posted by an unknown contributor, date unknown

God is very quiet, for there is no conflict in Him. Conflict is the root of all evil, for being blind it does not see whom it attacks. Yet it always attacks the Son of God, and the Son of God is you. ⚡A Course in Miracles, textbook, S. 198, 1976, revised 1996

The psychological rule says that when an inner situation is not made conscious, it happens outside, as fate. That is to say, when the individual remains undivided [not in touch with both the light AND the dark parts of themselves] and does not become conscious of his inner opposite, the world must per force act out the conflict and be torn into opposing halves. Carl Gustav Jung (1875-1961) Swiss psychiatrist, psychoanalytist, founder of a new school of analytical depth psychology, author, Gerhard Adler, editor, R. F. C. Hull, translator, Aion. Researches into the Phenomenology of the Self. Collected Works of C.G. Jung Volume 9 (Part 2), "Christ, A Symbol of the Self", paragraph 126, 1935, 1951, Princeton University Press, 2nd edition 1. June 1979, 2nd revised edition 1. August 1981

There are three principles in a man's being and life,

the principle of thought,

the principle of speech,

and the principle of action.

The origin of all conflict between me and my fellow-men is that I do not say what I mean and I don't do what I say.Martin Buber (1878-1965) Austrian-born Jewish religious researcher and philosopher

We only hate in others – whether in individuals or whole peoples – what we cannot accept in ourselves. […] We need our enemies in order to complete ourselves. […] As the sense of threat diminishes, we redesignate our former "enemies" as "adversaries." With the first hint of positive mutual value, "adversaries" become "rivals," a term which acknowledges each as a secret teacher of the other. Finally "rivals," recognizing their mutual dependency, come to see themselves as "partners." […] We'll have to transcend global civil war not by allying ourselves with former enemies in the face of a new enemy, but by learning enough about our adversaries to establish forbearance for the differences that have, during these first close encounters, so scared and agitated us. Robert Fuller, Ph.D.dignityforall.org (*1936) US American professor of physics, college president, dignity and rankism researcher, lecturer, author, A Better Game Than War. Understanding the origin of our "fear of the other," may lead us to the elimination of war, presented by the US American magazine In Context, The Foundations Of Peace (IC#4), David Hoffman, S. 18, Autumn 1983

With even a modest diminution of fear, we re-conceive our enemies as adversaries. With a hint of mutual value, adversaries become rivals – a term acknowledging each party's role as a teacher of the other. Finally, by recognizing their mutual dependency, rivals begin to see themselves as partners. By this time, comity has replaced enmity, and incivility is out of fashion. […] As fear subsides, and we gain confidence to protest against the indignities that befall us and apologize for those we ourselves commit, we deny hate the hothouse required for its gestation. Blog article Robert Fuller, Ph.D.dignityforall.org (*1936) US American professor of physics, college president, dignity and rankism researcher, lecturer, author, From Enmity to Comity: Restoring Civility and Pride to American Life, presented by the US American liberal-oriented online newspaper The Huffington Post, 20. October 2009, reissued 18. March 2010

It is a grossly obvious fact that those who ‘abjure’ violence can only do so because others are committing violence on their behalf. George Orwell [Eric Arthur Blair] (1903-1950) English journalist, essayist, writer, Notes on Nationalism, 1945

Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired, signifies in the final sense a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and not clothed. ⚡Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890-1969) 34th US president (1953-1961), five-star general in the United States Army, war criminal, source unknown

It is good that war is so horrible, or we might grow to like it. Robert Edward Lee (1807-1870) US American career military officer, best known for having commanded the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the American Civil War

War is hell.William Tecumseh Sherman (1820-1891) US American Union general during the Civil War, address to the graduating class of the Michigan Military Academy, 19. June 1879

War is a Racket (illegal business, usually run as part of organized crime), published in 1935, describes the workings of the military industrial complex. After retiring from service he was a speaker at meetings organized by veterans, pacifists and church groups in the 1930s.Means to keep up the racketeering of the MIC:
1. Medals, 2. propaganda, and 3. God.Remedies: 1. Conscript capital, industry and labor before the nation's manhood can be conscripted. 2. Restrict generals, admirals, officers, politicians, government office holders, and everyone to a total monthly income not exceeding that paid to the soldier in the trenches. 3. Allow limited plebiscite of the soldiers of the land. 4. Limit military forces to home defense purposes.

War is a racket. A racket is best described, I believe, as something that is not what it seems to the majority of the people. Only a small "inside" group knows what it is about. It is conducted for the benefit of the very few, at the expense of the very many. Out of war a few people make huge fortunes. Smedley Butler (1881-1940) US American US Marine Corps major general, outspoken critic of U.S. military adventurism, War is a Racket, YouTube film, minute 2:08 and 5:29, 8:55 minutes duration, posted 11. March 2009

It is important to meet people who think differently from you. I went from a man of war to a man of peace. Ted Turner (*1938) US American media mogul, entrepreneur, founder of CNN, billionaire, philanthropist, Just call me Ted, co-authored by Bill Burke, 2008

The global empowerment of women is the essential catalyst to a warless society.

The essential catalyst for triggering, hastening, and maintaining change to a warless society – is the global empowerment of women. When women occupy roughly half of the seats of power in legislative bodies entrusted to make decisions about war and peace – whether to fight or to compromise, to contain or to conquer – men's innate urges for physically aggressive confrontation will be tempered. What will not work is token female representation – placing a few women here and there in responsible positions. This will not tip the balance against the majority of men who are too ready to be drawn into physical struggles for domination. Only when women have a roughly 50/50 partnership with men in fully mature, liberal democracies will the world permanently take its fingers off the trigger. At present (2005), none of the world's democracies, let alone oligarchies or tyrannies, have reached that fully mature point. Our most influential powers (the United States, China, France, Germany, Great Britain, Israel, Japan, Russia), continue to be patriarchal light-years from male/female parity. […]The female preference for choosing social stability over conflict has a second, critical benefit. Judith L. Hand, US American evolutionary biologist, animal behaviorist (ethologist), pioneer in the emerging field of peace ethology, novelist, author of Women, Power, and the Biology of Peace, Questpath Publishing, 1. September 2003, The Pivotal Catalyst for Change and Longterm Stability

In a cross-cultural study sponsored by the World Bank and reported in The Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, David Dollar, Raymond Fisman, and Roberta Gatti found that governments with more women in power had less corruption. Swedes, who have a legislature that is roughly 45% women, grant paternity leave for fathers and lead the world in fighting sex trafficking. […]When the American Senate voted to support the second Iraq war, only thirteen percent of the Senators were women, and the Senate's response speaks for itself. It is reasonable to assume that when half the individuals in a governing body are female, the shift in preference favoring nonviolence and social stability would be pervasive in all aspects of decision-making, not just in decisions about war and peace. Judith L. Hand, US American evolutionary biologist, animal behaviorist (ethologist), pioneer in the emerging field of peace ethology, novelist, author of Women, Power, and the Biology of Peace, Questpath Publishing, 1. September 2003, The Pivotal Catalyst for Change and Longterm Stability

War is caused by leaders who focus and motivate the willingness of soldiers to kill outside their group or community.Restless young males, however, do challenge the stability of all cultures. They are the single most disruptive elements in any society, and they are particularly prone to create social turmoil (and crime) when they are unmarried or unemployed and before they have children of their own. One traditional solution to "the problem of young men" across many cultures has been to put them into military service or to send them off (out of the community) to war. This keeps them occupied during the most volatile stage of their lives. Training under the discipline of older men has an additional advantage: it shapes youthful excesses into behavior acceptable for adult men.Judith L. Hand, US American evolutionary biologist, animal behaviorist (ethologist), pioneer in the emerging field of peace ethology, novelist, author, Enlist Young Men

It is easier to start wars than to end them. It is easier to blame others than to look inward; to see what is different about someone than to find the things we share. But we should choose the right path, not just the easy path. There is also one rule that lies at the heart of every religion – that we do unto others as we would have them do unto us. This truth transcends nations and peoples – a belief that isn't new; that isn't black or white or brown; that isn't Christian, or Muslim or Jew. It's a belief that pulsed in the cradle of civilization, and that still beats in the heart of billions. It's a faith in other people. Barack Obama (*1961) 44th US president, President Obama Addresses Muslim World in Cairo, presented by the US American daily newspaper The Washington Post, Thursday, 4. June 2009

He who controls the past controls the future. He who controls the present controls the past. George Orwell [Eric Arthur Blair] (1903-1950) English journalist, essayist, writer, character Winston in dystopian novel Nineteen Eighty-Four, chapter 3, Secker and Warburg, London, 8. June 1949

Quotes on war strategies / Kriegskunst

Appeals

We are not holding a Goddamned thing. Let the Germans do that. We are advancing constantly and we are not interested in holding onto anything, except the enemy's balls. We are going to twist his balls and kick the living shit out of him all of the time. Our basic plan of operation is to advance and to keep on advancing regardless of whether we have to go over, under, or through the enemy. We are going to go through him like crap through a goose; like shit through a tin horn! George S. Patton (1885-1945) US American Army officer, general during World War II, General Patton's "Speech to the Third Army" on June 5th, 1944. The eve of the Allied invasion of France, code-named "Overlord", presented by TonyRogers.com, 5. June 1944

知己知彼 百戰不殆 （知彼知己，百战不殆If you know your enemies and know yourself, you can win a thousand battles without a single loss. If you only know yourself, but not your opponent, you may win or may lose. If you know neither yourself nor your enemy, you will always endanger yourself. Sun Tzu (544-496 BC) ancient Chinese military general, commander, strategist, philosopher, author, The Art of War, 2nd century BC, Delacorte Press, 10. March 1983

All warfare is based on deception.Sun Tzu (544-496 BC) ancient Chinese military general, commander, strategist, philosopher, author, The Art of War, 2nd century BC, Delacorte Press, 10. March 1983

For to win one hundred victories in one hundred battles is not the acme of skill. To subdue the enemy without fighting is the acme of skill. Sun Tzu (544-496 BC) ancient Chinese military general, commander, strategist, philosopher, author, The Art of War, 2nd century BC, Delacorte Press, 10. March 1983

Subtle and insubstantial, the expert leaves no trace; divinely mysterious, he is inaudible. Thus he is master of his enemy's fate.

[Variant translation] Be extremely subtle, even to the point of formlessness. Be extremely mysterious, even to the point of soundlessness. Thereby you can be the director of the opponent's fate. Sun Tzu (544-496 BC) ancient Chinese military general, commander, strategist, philosopher, author, The Art of War, 2nd century BC, Delacorte Press, 10. March 1983

He who knows when he can fight and when he cannot will be victorious. Sun Tzu (544-496 BC) ancient Chinese military general, commander, strategist, philosopher, author, The Art of War, 2nd century BC, Delacorte Press, 10. March 1983

Too frequent rewards indicate that the general is at the end of his resources; too frequent punishments that he is in acute distress. Sun Tzu (544-496 BC) ancient Chinese military general, commander, strategist, philosopher, author, The Art of War, 2nd century BC, Delacorte Press, 10. March 1983

The best victory is when the opponent surrenders of its own accord before there are any actual hostilities. [...] It is best to win without fighting. Sun Tzu (544-496 BC) ancient Chinese military general, commander, strategist, philosopher, author, The Art of War, 2nd century BC, Delacorte Press, 10. March 1983

When the leader is morally weak and his discipline not strict, when his instructions and guidance are not enlightened, when there are no consistent rules, neighboring rulers will take advantage of this. Sun Tzu (544-496 BC) ancient Chinese military general, commander, strategist, philosopher, author, The Art of War, 2nd century BC, Delacorte Press, 10. March 1983

In all history, there is no instance of a country having benefited from prolonged warfare. Only one who knows the disastrous effects of a long war can realize the supreme importance of rapidity in bringing it to a close. Sun Tzu (544-496 BC) ancient Chinese military general, commander, strategist, philosopher, author, The Art of War, 2nd century BC, Delacorte Press, 10. March 1983

Americans love to fight, traditionally. All real Americans love the sting and clash of battle. George S. Patton (1885-1945) US American Army officer, general during World War II, Speech to the Third Army, 1944, cited in: Terry Brighton, Patton, Montgomery, Rommel. Masters of War, S. 262–265, Crown Publishing Group, 2009

Spiritual views are not very popular in society in general. It is not necessary to impose one’s views on others. Proselytizing is best done by example rather than by coercion and lapel grabbing. We influence others by what we are rather than by what we say or have. To express views that are contrary to public opinion may be sociologically praiseworthy, but to do so leads to conflict and enmeshment in the arguments and discord in the world. The pursuit of 'causes' is the role of the social and political reformer, which is an activity different from that of the seeker of enlightenment. […] Embroilment in the issues of society is a luxury which the seeker of spiritual enlightenment needs to forego. […] We change the world not by what we say or do but as a consequence of what we have become. Thus, every spiritual aspirant serves the world. Dr. David R. Hawkins, The Eye of the I From Which Nothing Is Hidden, S. 68-69, 2001

Conflict between the different levels of the energy fields influences the resulting class troubles and the clashes of society with all its political positions. The pendulum of public opinion tends to swing from one extreme to the other in which the ruling group tries to eliminate the views of those who differ from its prevailing thought forms and beliefs.➤ At the higher levels, conflict is resolved by understanding, compassion, and comprehension, while ➤ at the lower levels, conflict is resolved by strife, persecution, and war. Dr. David R. Hawkins, The Eye of the I From Which Nothing is Hidden, S. 80, 2001

It is not very efficient or rewarding to 'battlesin' and get into a struggle to use 'will power' to overcome defects. These are already positionalities and traps that bind the mind in the dualistic error of 'opposites'. The way out of conflict is not to try to eliminate the negative but instead to choose to adopt the positive. To view that one's mission in life is to understand rather than to judge automatically resolves moral dilemmas. Dr. David R. Hawkins, The Eye of the I From Which Nothing Is Hidden, S. 103, Veritas Publishing, revised edition 2002

It is actually the Spiritual Will that determines destiny or karma. The Will is the seat of power of the Self as it extends to mind and, as such, is the region of direct contact with the Holy Spirit. At the level of Will, form and formlessness 'meet'. Here the formless qualities of love, devotion, gratitude, humility, inspiration, and faith meet with the particulars of the mind with its forms of ideas, thoughts, memories, conflicts, and images. In the spiritual Will, the goals which are valued or desired are now exposed to the formless spiritual qualities Love, forgiveness, and devotion. Through humility and the choice of peace out of love, one can relinquish even the most cherished of negativities, such as revenge, spite, or hatred. Dr. David R. Hawkins, The Eye of the I From Which Nothing Is Hidden, S. 135, Veritas Publishing, revised edition 2001

Acceptance is the great healer of strife, conflict, and upset. It also corrects major imbalances of perception and precludes the dominance of negative feelings. Everything serves a purpose. Humilitymeans that we will not understand all events or occurrences.Acceptance is not passivity [LoC 145] but non-positionality. The development of a spiritual ego can be avoided by the realization that spiritual progress is the result of God's grace and not the result of one's personal endeavors. Dr. David R. Hawkins, The Eye of the I From Which Nothing is Hidden, S. 145, Veritas Publishing, revised edition 2002

People fall into the trap of getting even or making constant remarks. They create enemies and animosities. These preclude a peaceful life. Nobody needs enemies. They can retaliate in ways unseen and so bring on unfortunate consequences. There is no such thing as winning a conflict; that results in hatred by the loser.The majority of domestic violence is a physical response to verbal provocation. However, in our society, victims seldom take responsibility for the provocation, temptation, or hurled insult.It serves spiritual progress to always accept responsibility for all that befalls one and avoid the trap of being a victim. From a higher view, there are no victims. Nothing in the world of appearances has the power to cause anything. Dr. David R. Hawkins, The Eye of the I From Which Nothing Is Hidden, chapter 9, S. 193, 2001

There is no conflict among the world’s highest teachers, only among their latter-day exploiters over the centuries, such as the current cult-like usurpers of the label "Christian." Throughout history, there have been all kinds of prophets with strange and unlikely messages that attract the gullible. There has been and still is a multitude of messiahs and prophets; however, they just do not stand up to a simple test that reveals the error. Baptism is of the spirit; the water is just symbolic. Of what use are claims to exclusivity? There is not a single organization that has an exclusive possession of the truth.Dr. David R. Hawkins, I. Reality and Subjectivity, chapter 1, ~S. 11-12 (Kindle location 708-711), 2003

Question: How should one handle the seeming conflict between the illusion called ‘ego’, the world, and spiritual work?Answer: The source of joy of spiritual endeavor stems from the work itself and is not dependent on outcomes or the achievement of goals. Each movement forward has an inner delight. There is, for instance, an inner pleasure that accompanies progress. The replacement of resentment with peaceful acceptance [LoC 350] is its own reward. There is a progressive alteration in one’s view of self and others. When this happens, one’s own life story can then be recontextualized from a more compassionate understanding. Dr. David R. Hawkins, I. Reality and Subjectivity, chapter 4 "The 'Ego' and Society", S. 53, 2003

Question: What is the value of confrontation?Answer: Society hopes that, by confrontation, the victims will lift themselves out of tamas into the rajas of waking up and taking action. This is the purpose of the law when it confronts criminal behavior. It hopes to provide a motive for change. There are, however, a great many persons who are not capable of change. When we realize that some people are unable to change of their own volition, we begin to see that they are ill or perhaps lack essential critical brain function. Historically, this was called "moral imbecility". Currently, it is referred to as "psychopathic personality". This defect shows up as early as ages two or three through the inability to control impulses or delay gratifications. There is some intrinsic defect in the ability to learn from experience and an intrinsic inability to fear consequences. Dr. David R. Hawkins, I. Reality and Subjectivity, S. 322-323, 2003

(*) The thymus is the controller of the acupuncture energy system, and is related to one's overall immune health, which is prone to suppression by stress.

Question: You have taught some people spiritual "first aid". How does that work?Answer: To terminate an upset, do the following:

"Thump the thymus." The thymus gland is located behind the upper breastbone. Thump that area with a closed hand and say, at the same time, "Ha-ha-ha" rhythmically three times, and then, after a pause, do it three more times. Smile while doing that and picture something or someone that you love. That could be a divine figure or even one's favorite pet. (*) This method was originally taught by Dr. John Diamond.1

Then breathe spiritual energy from the base of the spine up to the crown chakra. On each inhalation, picture it as Light. It flows from the base of the spine to the crown of the head. Even a few breaths done in this way will cause a very noticeable effect.

While doing the breathing, think or sound the syllable, "Om," as you proceed with the above.2

While involved in this process, find within yourself the willingness in your heart to surrender anything and everything to God and recommit your devotion [LoC 555] above all else.

The above instructions will lift one quickly and easily out of the arena of conflict and distress. It does not take practice and the results are ovbious, even on the first try. This can be followed up by prayer and meditation that focus attention on the whole picture (peripheral vision) of what one is witnessing, rather than getting stuck and involved in details. Equanimity is retained by relating to a total situation instead of to any of its parts. This tends to keep one at the level of witness rather than at the effect of the details with attachment to outcome. Dr. David R. Hawkins, I. Reality and Subjectivity, S. 378-379, 2003

The primary targets of contentious political attack calibrate well above 200 (from 355, on up to Infinity; the average is 455). Thus the conflict is not really political but represents the social clash of collective levels below 200 with those above 200; i.e. between the emotionality of the lower mind and the logic and reason that represents the higher mind. It also reflects the hostility of the less evolved mind toward erudition itself. The underlying fantasy is that by attack, the playing field can be leveled, which is transparently fallacious since the impact of truth and integrity stems from its nonlinear source, which is immune. Dr. David R. Hawkins, Truth vs. Falsehood. How to Tell the Difference, S. 213, 2005

In classical Freudian terminology, the 'ego' is understood and contextualized quite differently than it is in spiritual terminology. The Freudian ego is that aspect of the mind that has to deal with external reality, as well as balance and resolve the inner conflicts between the 'Id' (primitive drives) and conscience. Thus, psychological health is equated with having a healthy, realistic, and balanced personality. Dr. David R. Hawkins, Transcending Levels of Consciousness. The Stairway to Enlightenment, S. 52, 2006

Spiritual intention and commitment, especially when accompanied by prayer, declaration, invocation and devotion, change the predominant influential consciousness energy field, which is coordinated by its power 'attractor field' of energy. Thus, spiritual intention and declaration, inadvertently and often beyond awareness, change the rules by which one lives, and seemingly disparate life situations, including emotions, are orchestrated from a different level that is frequently disparate with the customary expectations of the personal ego and society. These may result in transitory conflict in emotional or personal situations because the goals of the Spirit/Self are not those of the ego/self. Dr. David R. Hawkins, Transcending the Levels of Consciousness. The Stairway to Enlightenment, S. 330, 2006

The overall consciousness of humanity only crossed over the level of 200 in the late 1980s. A primary difficulty of human life is, and has been, that the subpopulations of different levels of consciousness are thrown in together so that conflict is inevitable, as demonstrated by the […] fact that man has been overtly at war during ninety-three percent of recorded time. One might postulate that during the other seven percent of the time, the lack of war was probably due to some other catastrophe (e.g., the Black Plague, famine, etc.). As is apparent from the above, explanations of the source and nature of the universe represent conceptualizations from different levels of consciousness as well as progressive paradigms from the literal pedestrian to the advanced consciousness levels of Enlightenment and the revelations taught by the great spiritual teachers of history. Dr. David R. Hawkins, Reality, Spirituality and Modern Man, S. 96, 2008

It [the surrendered state] means to be free of negative feelings in a given area so that creativity and spontaneity can manifest without opposition or the interference of inner conflicts. To be free of inner conflict and expectations is to give others in our life the greatest freedom. It allows us to experience the basic nature of the universe, which, it will be discovered, is to manifest the greatest good possible in a situation. Dr. David R. Hawkins, Letting Go. The Pathway of Surrender, October 2012

If someone calls you a liar, tell ‘em, 'Yeah I am, I’m the best liar on the planet. Yeah wanna hire me? I’m worth a fortune.' 'Every time I wake up in the morning I call 911 because I’m so ugly.' [Laugther.] You see, when you accept the possible downside of everything, nothing can offend you. ’You're greedy.' 'Yeah, I‘m greedy, I'm Mr. Greedy man, give me what I want.' Know what I mean, just become what people say you are.' 'You're impervious.' There is nothing you can say. Uh huh. So we cannot make neurotism the law of the land.You're not gonna be able to not offend somebody. See. Because some people are gonna be offended if you do and some people will be offended if you don’t. Consequently, you're always gonna offend somebody. So live with it. [Laugther.] The way to God through the heart. Dr. David R. Hawkins, Sedona Seminar Devotion: The Way to God Through the Heart, 3 DVD set, 27. September 2002

The quickest way to solve problems is to recontextualise them into a higher energy field. Recontextualization goes from of a

There is conflict only if you seek gain. You can remain simple within yourself even as your mind and work requires you to live in the city. On the other hand, seeking a simpler life (i.e. away from the city) is OK too, since growing spiritually is also a service to mankind. The intention sanctifies the action.Dr. David R. Hawkins, Sedona Satsang Q&A, Sedona Creative Life Center, 2 CD set, 10. May 2006

Relationships go through phases. They mature. People mature at different rates. A lot of people consider passion, just as neediness, a hormonal problem! If the hormones came down, you could actually just peacefully watch TV together! You were in fragments before, now you are more complete and it would be OK, if she left. Dr. David R. Hawkins, Sedona Satsang Q&A, 2 CD set, 10. January 2007

There has been war 97% of the time. Let‘s just accept that war is a natural condition. If people wanted peace, they would have peace. Dr. David R. Hawkins, Sedona Satsang Q&A, 2 CD set, 10. January 2007

This is the world of science, and it likes logic and reason and proof. The world of science lives in this domain and the world of spirit lives above that domain – a different paradigm. So you can’t apply the processes of one domain to another. The reason for the seeming conflict is because they are two different paradigms. You can’t prove or disprove God from the level of the 400s. It’s sort of intellectual grandiosity. You can’t apply the rules of one realm to the other. You can’t solve scientific problems with love and prayer. The problem of God vs. science is really mixing paradigms, and it’s not solvable on the level on which it is presented. Dr. David R. Hawkins, Sedona Seminar God vs. Science. Limits of the Mind, 3 DVD set, 17. February 2007

[Paraphrased] Question: What to do when people behave less than loving?[Paraphrased and summarized]] answer: Look inside to see, if and how you may have contributed to this situation. Does the other person react to your own behaviour? To the best of your abilities hold the person in mind as loving. This will change not only your own perception, but also the other person, towards becoming more like that. [Confirmed as true by muscle testing] Dr. David R. Hawkins, Discussion Series What You Are Changes the World, session #2, 1 CD / 1 DVD, 60 minutes duration, spring 2012

Quotes by M. Scott Peck – My Lai Massacre (case study)

M. Scott Peck examined group evil, discussing how human group morality is strikingly less than individual morality. This is partly the result of specialization, which allows people to avoid individual responsibility and pass the buck, resulting in a reduction of group conscience.

Peck’s analysis of the My Lai Massacre reduces group evil to a manifestation of conscienceless behavior brought about by individual laziness and narcissism. Peck calls for the constitution of a genuine psychology of evil.

Vietnamese women and children in seconds before being killedMassacre in Mỹ Lai, 16 March 1968

I was once [1972] directed by the Chief of Staff of the Army to prepare an analysis of the psychological causes of the My Lai atrocities and their subsequent cover-up, with recommendations for research that might prevent such behavior in the future. The recommendations were disapproved by the Army general staff on the basis that the research recommended could not be kept secret. "The existence of such research might open us up to further challenge. The President [Richard Nixon] and the Army don't need more challenges at this time," I was told. Thus an analysis of the reasons for an incident that was covered up was itself covered up. M. Scott Peck (1936-2005) US American psychiatrist, psychotherapist, author, The Road Less Traveled, 1st edition 1978, Random House United Kingdom, 15. March 1990, Touchstone, 25th anniversary edition 4. February 2003

ONE person only willing to alert to genocide and psychopathology

The fact that the American public learned about My Lai at all was due solely to a letter that Ron Ridenhour wrote at the end of March 1969 to several congressmen about the atrocities more than a year after they had occurred. Ridenhour had not himself been a part of Task Force Barker but had later heard of the atrocities in idle conversation from friends who had been at My Lai, and he wrote the letter three months after his return to civilian life. In the spring of 1972 I was chairman of a committee of three psychiatrists appointed by the Army Surgeon General, at the request of the Chief of Staff of the Army, to make recommendations for research that might shed light on the psychological causes of My Lai, so as to help prevent such atrocities in the future. The research we proposed was rejected by the General Staff of the Army, reportedly on the grounds that it could not be kept secret and might prove embarrassing to the administration and that "further embarrassment was not desirable at that time".The rejection of the recommendations of the committee for research is symbolic of several issues. One is that any research into the nature of evil is likely to prove embarrassing, not only to those who are the designated subjects of the research but also to the researchers themselves. If we are to study the nature of human evil, it is doubtful how clearly we will be able to separate them from us; it will most likely be our own natures we are examining. Undoubtedly, this potential for embarrassment is one of the reasons we have thus far failed to develop a psychology of evil.The rejection by the General Staff of our recommendations for research also highlights the fact that in considering the evil at My Lai – as in all our other considerations of evil – we suffer from a simple lack of scientific knowledge. In tune with what has preceded, much of what follows is only speculative. We will inevitably be limited to speculation until such time as we have been able to develop, through scientific research, a body of knowledge that constitutes a genuine psychology of evil. M. Scott Peck (1936-2005) US American psychiatrist, psychotherapist, author, People of the Lie. The Hope for Healing Human Evil, chapter 6 "MyLai. An Examination of Group Evil", Touchstone Press, 1st edition 1983, 2nd edition 2. January 1998

Using the My Lai Massacre as a case study M. Scott Peck also examines group evil, discussing how human group morality is strikingly less than individual morality. Partly he considers this to be a result of specialization, which allows people to avoid individual responsibility and pass the buck, resulting in a reduction of group conscience.

Axelrod has clearly demonstrated several principles of competition and collaboration at work in a computer game called Prisoner's dilemma.He and other testers found that "Tit for Tat with forgiveness" strategy was the most beneficial. It is a mix of the policies "an eye for an eye" and "turn the other cheek". Defecting as in cheating and doing evil never won the game in the long run. The principle to strike the unruly dog immediately was confirmed by Axelrod.

In respect to the top-scoring (most beneficial) strategies Axelrod came to the following conclusion: The most successful "prisoners" faced with the dilemma "to defect or cooperate" with their opponent chose following four strategies:

Neighbors help each other.Cooperators can prevail by forming networks and clusters.

"We do not meet each other randomly."[The structure of populations promotes cooperation.]

4.

Group selection

Tribal wars

Groups of cooperators out-compete other groups. Multilevel (group) selection works if there are many small, isolated groups. Migration – egoists infecting pure altruist groups – undermines cooperation. However, at the cellular level, there's plenty of evidence of group selection.

Overcoming anger

President Abraham Lincoln who struggled with his depression held together the opposites of darkness and light in his own psyche as well as his country at his time.At a special prayer day he had asked the troops of the north to pray also for the south troops. To his critics who felt that this is undermining the moral of the troops he said:

We need to be able to remain human even though we are fighting this war.

There was one of Lincoln's very rare outbursts of anger in 'Soldiers Home', a cottage in the country on a high hill, where Lincoln ruminated on emancipation proclamations and more.An officer came to him in need as his wife had drowned in a ferry boat in the Potomac river. Lincoln reacted infuriated due to the disturbance:

Why do you bring that up to me? Go have someone else in the White House deal with it!

Following night Lincoln could not sleep all night. He sat up that night and recognized his mistake. The next morning he took care to find the hotel where the officer stayed in. He knocked at the door and apologized to the man assuring him:

War is inevitable![screaming, pounding with his fists – speaking in Russian, translated into English]

War is not inevitable! What is inevitable, sir, is life's potential will unfold itself. And your moral and ethicalresponsibility, sir, is to help yourself, your comrades, your families, your country, your entire nation to become part of the family of nations to help that life potential to unfold, sir! [switching into the Russian mode – screaming louder, pounding harder with his fists]

The Russian general looked at Woolf puzzled._____________________________________________He burst out laughing. [The war mode spell was broken.]

The integration of the whole dynamic knowledge is needed in Russia more than anything else.Soviet Communism declined peacefully in 1990-91.

Woolf was invited to work with 14 Soviet academies installed by the ministries during the Russian transition period after the silent fall of communism in the 90ties. He supported them for 9 years and trained several 100 Holodynamics teachers in Russia.

7-Step model for conflict resolution – Stewart Levine

Get in the frame of mind to be willing to resolve conflict. Focus on what the conflict is costing everyone and what everyone can gain from a resolution. Stop thinking of conflict as a win/lose proposition. Arguing over who's right often does not lead to a resolution that anyone wants.Open up and be truthful. Commit to and invest yourself in the process.

As you get more information, check to make sure that your vision meets the concerns of all the parties involved.

4.

Get current and complete information on the issues.

You must be up-to-date in order to move forward with a resolution.

5.

Reach an agreement in principle.

Come to a broad understanding of what the resolution will be.

6.

Craft the new agreement.

Create a template for agreement including the following elements: Intent, specific vision, roles, commitments to action, timeline, measurements of satisfaction, concerns and fears, renegotiation, dissolution, consequences, dispute resolution, and management of the process.

Conflicts start with tensions, e.g. the occasional clash of opinions. This is a common occurrence and is not perceived as the start of a conflict. However, if a conflict should result the positions become more fundamental. The conflict could have deeper causes.

Stage 2 – Debate

From now on the conflict parties consider strategies to convince the counterparty of their arguments. Differences of opinion lead to a dispute. The parties try to put each other under pressure and think in terms of black and white.

Stage 3 – Actions instead of words

The conflict parties increase the pressure on each other in order to assert their own opinion. Discussions are broken off. No more verbal communication takes place and the conflict is increasingly acerbated. Sympathy for "them" disappears.
2nd Level (Win–Lose)

Stage 4 – Coalitions

The conflict is acerbated by the search for sympathisers for one's cause. Believing one has right on one's side, one can denounce the opponent. The issue is no longer important: one has to win the conflict so that the opponent loses.

Stage 5 – Loss of face

The opponent is to be denigrated by innuendo and the like. The loss of trust is complete. Loss of face means in this sense the loss of moral credibility.

Stage 6 – Threat strategies

The conflict parties try to gain absolute control by issuing threats which demonstrate their own power. One threatens, for example, with a demand (10 million euros) which is enforced by a sanction ("otherwise I′ll blow up your main building") and underlined by the potential for sanction (showing the explosive). The proportions decide the credibility of the threat.
3rd Level (Lose–Lose)

Stage 7 – Limited destruction

One tries to severely damage the opponent with all the tricks at one's disposal. The opponent is no longer regarded as human. From now on, limited personal loss is seen as a gain if the damage to the opponent is greater.

Stage 8 – Total annihilation

The opponent is to be annihilated by all means.

Stage 9 – Together into the abyss

From this point personal annihilation is accepted in order to defeat the opponent.
Strategies for de-escalation and conflict solution

The model describes how two parties in a conflict behave. Solutions leading to de-escalation are not immediately apparent in this model,[3] particularly when it appears to both conflict parties impossible to reverse the situation (e.g. an aggressive act on the territory of a state, separation of a common child from the other parent, withdrawal of nationality by a state, mass redundancy to improve shareholder value), or when one party selects conflict escalation as a strategic ploy.

To achieve de-escalation Glasl assigns the following strategic models to the different stages of escalation:

The ability to recognise and eliminate conflict-nourishing forces in a culturally neutral and non-judgemental fashion in order to de-escalate a conflict is highly advantageous in particular for managers, consultants and social workers. ||

Futility of squabbling

and never had a squabble. Not even once.One day, one monk said to the other: "Don't you think it's about time we had a squabble, even if it's just once?""Sure," replied the other monk. "Let's get started right away. About what shall we squabble?""About this piece of bread perhaps?" the first monk offered. "OK, let's have a squabble over this bread. How are we going to go about this?" asked the other again. "This bread is mine, and mine alone," said the first monk."Oh yeah? Well you can keep it," said the second monk.

After having been severely reprimanded by his superior, Brother Juniper was so disturbed in the following night that sleep fled him. So he got up in the dark and went to the monastery's kitchen. There he prepared a bowl of hot porridge adorned with lump of butter on top. This dish he took along to his superior’s room. Knocking at his door he said,

"Father, I have prepared this porridge for you and beg you to eat it."

The superior told him to leave and allow him to continue his sleep.
Dryly Brother Juniper replied,

"Would you be so kind as to hold the light while I eat it?"

The superior laughed in spite of himself. Good sport that he was, he sat down with Brother Juniper so that they both could eat the porridge together.

William L. Ury, US American negotiation specialist, co-founder of Program on Negotiation, Harvard University, director of the Project on Preventing War, Getting to Peace, Viking Adult, 27. September 1999

Article by Heidi Burgess, co-director of The Conflict Resolution Information Source, conflict research consortium University of Colorado, 1999-2010, I-Messages and You-Messages, presented by Beyond Intractability, September 2003, updated June 2013

The brain doesn't distinguish between physical pain and intense emotional pain. A study conducted by Ethan Kross, Ph.D., deptartment of psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan confirmed that heartache and breakups are not allegorical pains, but real pains.

References to: US witchhunting since the 1930s-2010s, fusionism, the far-right anti-communist, anti-environmental, anti-governmental political organization John Birch Society (Birchism), established in 1958

Audio interview with Gregg Braden (*1954) US American educator, pioneer in bridging science and spirituality, author, Deep Truth. Igniting the Memory of Your Origin, History, Destiny, and Fate, presented by the US American web radio station Hay House Radio, host Diane Ray, 48:00 minutes duration, aired 5. October 2011

Gregg Braden: "War is a bad human habit that developed when resources became scarce 5000 years ago. Human natural benevolence is shed when one feels personally threatened, and when one's family and one's way of life are being threatened. In the 1st to 4 Great World Ages peace has been prevalent, in the 5th Great World Age war was the predominant way of life. The rising 6th Great World Age will possibly bring peace again."